NOTE: Please restrict comments in this thread to those pertaining to the overall project. Comments for specific movies can be placed in the appropriate VideoViews entry when they are reviewed, or topics can be started in the General Discussion area.

Sun Oct 11, 2009 7:20 pm

ck100

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

I think this should be an interesting project for James. I 'd like to see him talk about the Oscar program itself and not just the movies. I mean I'd love to see him talk about controversies like Rob Lowe singing with Snow White, Letterman's failure as a host, Marissa Tomei winning her Oscar, "Dances With Wolves" beating "Goodfellas", etc.

Last edited by ck100 on Mon Oct 12, 2009 12:21 am, edited 1 time in total.

Sun Oct 11, 2009 7:41 pm

MTRodaba2468

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

I think this project will be interesting, as it means James won't necessarily be able to get out of reviewing Terms Of Endearment.

Sun Oct 11, 2009 8:08 pm

wisey

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

MTRodaba2468 wrote:

I think this project will be interesting, as it means James won't necessarily be able to get out of reviewing Terms Of Endearment.

I've read on this forum a few times that James can't stand Terms of Endearment. Will be interested to read exactly why. Its really not that bad a film. There are plenty other worse films that have won Best Picture over the years.

Looking forward to the review of The Deer Hunter. If that doesn't get four stars I'll eat my keyboard.

Sun Oct 11, 2009 8:30 pm

Hal_10000

Gaffer

Joined: Wed May 20, 2009 11:33 amPosts: 17

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

Just curious if the new reviews will show up in the RSS feed and if you'll post the occasional article on the bad oscar selections and what should have won.

Sun Oct 11, 2009 9:23 pm

Patrick

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

Hal_10000 wrote:

Just curious if the new reviews will show up in the RSS feed and if you'll post the occasional article on the bad oscar selections and what should have won.

Doesn't everything show up on the RSS feed? And if it doesn't, use twitter or facebook. That's how I get my Reelviews news.

Sun Oct 11, 2009 9:25 pm

sjlips

Assistant Second Unit Director

Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2009 3:57 amPosts: 187

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

Earlier this year, Mr. Berardinelli had mentioned that there were five Best Picture winners he had not yet seen. Although he gave a few hints, he never actually revealed what those five were, did he? I hope he will, because I've been very curious about this for months now. Or is the idea he proposed of turning "guess the Best Picture winners I haven't previously seen" into a contest still being considered?

Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:23 am

mkratzer21

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

Hal_10000 wrote:

Just curious if the new reviews will show up in the RSS feed and if you'll post the occasional article on the bad oscar selections and what should have won.

All of James's reviews, including his retrospective of the 1980s, were available in my RSS feed, so I don't see why these reviews would not be there.

Mon Oct 12, 2009 2:47 am

neco82

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

This sounds interesting... we actually did the same project last year at the magazine I write for, we did a ranking of the 10 Best Oscar Winners of All-Time, so I had to sit through a lot of these films... I never got around to watching all of them, but that's a long-term goal of mine.

Maybe with James' feedback I can pick out the worthy ones, out of the ones I haven't seen.

Earlier this year, Mr. Berardinelli had mentioned that there were five Best Picture winners he had not yet seen. Although he gave a few hints, he never actually revealed what those five were, did he? I hope he will, because I've been very curious about this for months now. Or is the idea he proposed of turning "guess the Best Picture winners I haven't previously seen" into a contest still being considered?

They are:

WINGSTHE BROADWAY MELODYCAVALCADETHE LOST WEEKENDKRAMER VS. KRAMER (For some reason, I never got around to seeing it.)

Mon Oct 12, 2009 10:13 am

ilovemovies

Producer

Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 11:04 amPosts: 2258

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

[/quote]Looking forward to the review of The Deer Hunter. If that doesn't get four stars I'll eat my keyboard.[/quote]

IMO, The Deer Hunter is a 3 star movie because it takes FOOOOOOOOREVER (!!!) for it to get going though once it does it's pretty powerful.

Mon Oct 12, 2009 12:42 pm

calvero

Director

Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:44 pmPosts: 1404

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

Quote:

THE LOST WEEKEND

pretty surprised you didn't see this, since you seem to be a big Wilder fan(2 in your top 100)

Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:03 pm

JamesKunz

Critic

Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:35 amPosts: 6250Location: Easton, MD

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

I hope the Deer Hunter doesn't get 4 stars. Yes I know that stars are overrated, reductive, blah blah blah, but they also help clarify the author's perspective. And in this case...come on...doesn't anyone else find the pacing of the film really poor? The wedding scene lasts for like an hour, then they hunt deer, then they're in Vietnam for about 3 minutes before they're captured and playing Russian Roulette. I think it could have been much better paced

_________________I'm lithe and fierce as a tiger

Mon Oct 12, 2009 3:23 pm

ck100

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

I still am surprised that "Kramer vs. Kramer" beat "Apocalypse Now" for Best Picture. Same with "Ordinary People" beating "Raging Bull" and "Dances With Wolves" beating "Goodfellas".

Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:33 pm

JamesKunz

Critic

Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:35 amPosts: 6250Location: Easton, MD

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

I agree that Apocalypse Now is a much more daring picture, but I don't think it should come as any surprise that the "safer" Kramer vs. Kramer won out over it. The academy's taste often runs towards well-made middlebrow fare, and Kramer vs. Kramer (which is a decent film) is a pretty good example.

_________________I'm lithe and fierce as a tiger

Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:24 pm

ck100

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

JamesKunz wrote:

I agree that Apocalypse Now is a much more daring picture, but I don't think it should come as any surprise that the "safer" Kramer vs. Kramer won out over it. The academy's taste often runs towards well-made middlebrow fare, and Kramer vs. Kramer (which is a decent film) is a pretty good example.

Is that the reason why "Ordinary People" beat "Raging Bull" and that "Dances With Wolves" beat "Goodfellas"?

Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:41 pm

calvero

Director

Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:44 pmPosts: 1404

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

Apocalypse Now was not universally praised in 1979. Gene Siskel gave it a poor review. And it had to deal with a lot of negative press leading up to its release(remember how it went way overschedule, etc)It was a disappointment at the box office. While Kramer vs Kramer was a huge hit(over 300 mill in 2009 dollars, adjusted for inflation)

The controversial Deer Hunter had just gotten best pic the year before, so I really doubt picking Kramer was about the 'safe' choice. it would have been pretty odd to have 2 vietnam films winning best pic in back to back years though. Also Coppola already had won multiple oscars(there is a 'spread the wealth' mentality with the Academy)

As far as Kramer vs Kramer goes, it won the best picture award from the NY Film Critics & LA Film Critics that year, it wasn't just some 'academy' type movie. It was the huge favorite on Oscar night, 1979.You can't just look at the situation with 2009 eyes, I'm sure many critics back then thought it would be remembered more fondly than Apocalypse in the future.

Now Ordinary People & Dances With Wolves on the other hand...

Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:28 pm

Syd Henderson

Director

Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2009 1:35 amPosts: 1727

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

Wings and Sunrise are great pictures which deserved their respective awards, so James can get off to a good start. Which won't last long; some of the earlier winners haven't stood the test of time very well. I've seen Wings on TCM and I know it's been out on VHS. I believe a good-quality DVD is due pretty soon. It's embarrassing there isn't one yet. Although you can see the plot, because it was ripped off for Pearl Harbor, where it makes a lot less sense.

I've never seen Cavalcade or The Lost Weekend either. In fact, finding Cavalcade is challenging.

_________________Evil does not wear a bonnet!--Mr. Tinkles

Mon Oct 12, 2009 10:47 pm

Syd Henderson

Director

Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2009 1:35 amPosts: 1727

Re: October 11, 2009: "All the Best (Pictures)"

The Broadway Melody is one I had in mind which hasn't stood the test of time very well, but given that they were bound to give the Oscar to a sound film, it was probably the best of the possible nominees. Besides, Bessie Love is good and Anita Page is lovely and vulnerable, and the film is interesting as an example of what a musical looked like before Hollywood really knew how to do one. Some of the early musicals were very strange, and some, like The Love Parade and Love Me Tonight, are great.

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